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EDWABD G. WABD 

MANUAL OF INSTRUCTION 



TO ACCOMPANY 
Pll^STAND SECOND BOOKS 



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THE 



RATIONAL METHOD IN READING 



AN ORIGINAL PRESENTATION OF SIGHT AND SOUND WORK 

THAT LEADS RAPIDLY TO INDEPENDENT AND 

INTELLIGENT READING 



BY ^ 

EDWARD G. WARD 

Associate Superintendent of Public Instruction, Brooklyn, N.Y. 



flbanual of IFnetniction 

FOR THE USE OE TEACHERS 

TO ACCOMPANY THE FIRST AND SECOND BOOKS 








SILVER, BURDETT & COMPANY 

New York BOSTON Chicago 

1895 



,- ^'vi-^ 

THE 

RATIONAL riETHOD IN READING. 

First Book, Part I. — Reading by the Word Method. 
First Book, Part II. — Sight and Phonetic Reading Com- 
bined. 
First Book, Complete. — Parts I. and II. Combined. 
SECOND Book, Part I. ) Sight and Phonetic Reading Com- 
SEGOND Book, Part II. f bined. 

SECOND Book, Complete. — Parts I. and II. Combined. 
Manual of Instruction for Teachers. 
Phonetic Cards, First Set. 
Phonetic Cards, Second Set. 
Phonetic Cards, Third Set. {In Press.) 

Other volumes in preparation. 



.J.- 



5^*io 



Copyright, 1894, 1805, by Silver, Burdett & Company. 



3>f^O 



NottoonU ^Prcss : 

J. S. Gushing & Co. — Berwick & Smith. 

Norwood, Mass., U.S.A. 



PREFACE. 



The method of teaching reading embodied in this book is an outgrowth of the 
author's profound dissatisfaction with the results of the word method. 

The la;tter method, while it possesses the undisputed merit of leading to facility 
in thought gathering during the first stage of the work, proves slow and cumbrous 
afterward, fails to excite the child to effort, furnishes him with but a scanty vocabu- 
lary, and finally sends him out of school unprovided with a key by means of which, 
without further assistance, he may gain access to the treasures of the language. 

The Rational Method is a peculiar combination of the word and phonetic 
methods. It utilizes each for that part of the work to which it is especially adapted. 
The word method is used, first as principal, because of its value in developing a 
habit of reading thoughtfully, and afterward as auxiliary, to remedy the short- 
comings of the phonetic method, and increase the stock of word phonograms. The 
phonetic method, which is introduced by easy stages during the ascendency of the 
word method, finally becomes the principal means of growth and progress. It im- 
parts power, while it supplies the key which the word method is inadequate to give. 

The aims of the Rational Method are : — 

1. To make the child not only independent in his reading, but generally self- 
reliant. 

2. To enable him to read a vastly greater amount than heretofore in a given 
time, and thus acquire not only a fuller vocabulary, but greater maturity of mind. 

3. To put him into possession diiring the first year or year and a half of school 
life, of a complete key to the language, so that, no matter how soon thereafter his 
schooling may cease, his ability to read will be assured. 

The following are the leading features of the phonetic part of the work : — 
I . The presentation of the sounds and their symbols (phonograms ) in a rational 
order ; that is, an order in which the easier precede the harder. The easiest sounds 
to use in phonetic reading are those that may be indefinitely prolonged, and the 
blending of which in words may therefore be most readily shown and perceived. 
These sounds, the Rational Method deals with first. 

3 



4 PREFACE. 

2. The teaching of an Initial Stock of phonograms before any phonetic reading 
is done. This makes provision whereby, when such reading has once been com- 
menced, it may be carried on continuously and with sufficient wealth and variety of 

material. 

3. The training of the ear in the perception of phonetic blends, before phonetic 
reading is begun. The teacher accomplishes this by pronouncing words sound by 
sound, and requiring the children to determine, in each case, the word so pronounced. 

4. An extensive and systematic use of word-phonograms and other compound 
phonograms. The difficulty the child experiences in determining a new word, is, in 
general, directly proportional to the number of parts he has to recognize in it. By 
the use, then, of compound phonograms, which, being taught as wiioles, are no 
harder to recognize than simple ones, hundreds of long and hard words are practi- 
cally transformed into short and easy ones. Thus, the word lightning, which the 
child learning by this method reads, / ight n ing, he finds no more difficult than the 
short word left, in which also he has to recognize and put together four separate 
sounds. 

5. A careful grading of the phonetic words introduced. The first phonetic 
words presented contain but two phonograms each, the next but three, and so on. 

6. The gradual introduction of phonetic words into the sentence reading. At 
first but one such word is used to a sentence. This prevents the phonetic work 
from offering any serious impediment to the thought getting. As the child's percep- 
tion of the blend becomes quicker and clearer, the proportion of phonetic words is 
constantly increased. Finally, when this perception has become automatic, or nearly 
so, the i-eading is made almost wholly phonetic. 

7. Separate daily drills in the recognition of the individual phonograms and 
the reading of single phonetic words. The purpose of these is to cultivate expert- 
ness. No other part of the work exceeds them in imjjortance ; as without them, the 
average child would never acquire sufficient facility in sound or word recognition, 
to make successful phonetic reading a possibility. 

Those who undertake this method will need : — 

1. To follow implicitly the directions laid down in the Manual. 

2. To do their work with great thoroughness. 

3. To hold expectation in check for awhile, and exercise patience, — looking for 
brilliant results only after the foundations have been laid broad and deep. In the 
numerous schools that have already attracted public attention by their wonderful 
success with this method, more ground has invariably been covered during the last 
five weeks of the first term than during the preceding fifteen. 

E. G. W. 

Brooklyn, N.Y., June 1, 1894. 



MANUAL OF INSTRUCTION FOR TEACHERS. 



EXPLANATION OF TERMS EMPLOYED. 



Phonogram. A written or printed representation of a sound, either simple 
or compound. 

Examples: f, S, 1, ing, igllt. 

Sight word. A word that has been taught as a whole, and is therefore 

recognized by sight alone. 
Phonetic word. A word to be read by means of its phonograms. 
Sight reading. The reading of sight wordseither singly or in sentences. 
Phonetic reading. The reading of phonetic words either singly or in sen- 

teiices. 
Simple phonogram. A phonogram containing but one letter. 

Examples : S, 1, 6. 

(Excepting T, which represents a union of the sounds of a and e, the 
simple phonograms stand for one sound each.) 

Compound phonogram. A phonogram containing more than one letter. 

Examples: ing, igllt, ip, Ull, lieSS. 

(Every compound phonogram represents a compound sound, which, how- 
ever, is taught as a unit.) 

Word phonogram. A sight word used as a phonogram in the representation 
of a longer word. 

Examples: old in fold, ail in Sail, an in Uian. 

5 



THE RATIONAL METHOD IN READING-. 



(Word phonograms are really, of course, compound phonograms, but, 
for the sake of convenience, the term "compound phonogram" is restricted 
to combinations that are not words.) 

Blend. The union or combination of sounds, simple, compound, or both, to 
form words. 

I. 

FIRST HALF-YEAR'S WORK. — FIRST STAGE. 

(TIME, ABOUT EIGHT WEEKS.*) 



SIGHT-READING FROM THE BLACKBOARD AND PREPARATION FOR 
PHONETIC READING. 



Three lines of work are to be separately practiced every day : — 

1. Sight-reading. 

2. Drill on Phonograms. 

3. Ear-training. 

1. The Sight-eeading. 

Commence with the blackboard, using script characters only, and teach 
the following list of sight-words comprising the full vocabulary for Part I. 
(Primer) of the First Book : — 

a, ail, all, am, an, and, any, apple, are, at, boy, bread, can, come, cow, 
do, does, dog, drink, eat, e^g, for, fruit, full, girl, give, go, good, has, 
have, he, her, here, him, I, ill, in, is, it. Jack, let, like, look, make, 
me, milk, much, no, not, of, old, out, play, see, shall, she, some, take, 
tell, that, the, them, there, they, to, too, us, want, water, we, well, 
what, where, will, with, yes, you. 

* In Brooklyn, some teachers accomplish this stage of the work in six weeks, while a few 
require as much as ten weeks. 



MANUAL OF INSTRUCTION FOR TEACHERS. 7 

Use the words in sentences from the very beginning. Construct your 
own sentences and make pleuty of them, but make them very short. As far 
as possible, work them up in conversation or story style, several in succes- 
sion relating to one topic. Do not use the sentences found in the book ; and, 
the better to avoid doing so, work up the words in a somewhat different 
order from that in which they are presented in the book. 

Never let a single scholar read a sentence until he is ready to do so 
without a break. At the very first symptom of hesitation or a halt, stop 
the pupil, and tell him he must not read until he has his sentence all ready. 
While he is getting it ready, he must have the privilege of asking (by num- 
ber is the best way) for any word that he does not know. This mode of 
procedure, involving, as it does, constant waiting, seems to the inexperienced 
teacher most wasteful of time ; but those whose experience is riper, well 
know that the facility it brings toward the latter part of the term makes up 
many times over for the time apparently lost at the beginning. Do not fall 
into the common error when the children show a disposition to hesitate, of 
telling them to hurry. You do not wish them to hurry; you simply wish 
them to read in a natural manner zvithout breaks. 

As to expression : — When a child reads without expression, draw it from 
him if possible, by questions or remarks on the subject-matter of the sen- 
tence. Failing in this, read the sentence properly for him, and require him 
to read it after you. The statement of the theorists that if the child recog- 
nizes the words readily, the expression will take care of itself, is arrant non- 
sense, as every practical teacher of little ones knows. With a class that is 
particularly unresponsive in this matter, it is often a good thing in the 
models you set, to exaggerate somewhat in both emphasis and inflection. 

The scholars should be taught to recognize the s and ing forms of the 
words just as they do the simpler forms. This recognition may be easily 
brought about in the following manner : — 

When half-a-dozen singular nouns and three or four simple verbs have 
been learned, write any convenient one of said words on the blackboard, and 
have the pupils tell what it is. Then add to it an s, and tell them what it 
now is. Next write another of the words, have it read as before, and add 
the s; but now, instead of telling the scholars what the word has become, 
ask them to tell you. Continue this process until they distinguish without 



8 THE RATIONAL METHOD IN READING. 

difficulty between the simple and the s form of every familiar word. Then 
teach them in the same manner to recognize the form that ends in ing and 
afterward the one that ends in ings. 

Avoid until near the end of the work words like goes, making, etc., in 
which the change to the s or ing form involves the addition or the elision 
of an e. 

2. The Drill on Phonograms. 

This is a preparation for phonetic reading. To be effective, it must be 
thorough. The material used is the Initial Stock of phonograms, compris- 
ing those employed in the first phonetic reading, which are /, I, m, n, r, s, — 
a, e, 6, — ing, ings, ight, and ights. That the preparation for the phonetic 
reading may be adequate, the drill on this stock must begin when the first 
blackboard work begins and continue without intermission until Part. I. of 
the book has been read. 

The following method is recommended : — 

Begin with /. Write it on the blackboard, and tell the children what it 
is. Give sound, not name. (ISTo letter riames are to be taught during the 
first half-year.) Have them practice it a little while, then leave it. Many 
times during the day, ask them unexpectedly what it is. Next day teach I 
in the same manner. Now for two or three days, keep both characters on the 
board, changing their relative positions from time to time, or writing a num- 
ber of each and mixing them irregularly, and have frequent short drills on 
them. Next teach m in the same manner, and drill similarly for a day or 
two on all three. Continue in this way until you have taught from four to 
six of the phonograms, and thereafter use Set I. of the phonetic cards (script 
side only) for your drills, instead of the blackboard. 

In using the cards, proceed as follows : — 

Stand in one of the front corners of the room where every member of the 
class can see distinctly, holding in your hand the cards for all the phono- 
grams thus far learned. Taking the scholars in order, show each a phono- 
gram. If he does not name it instantly (interpret this word literally), call 
out tell, and have the others ])rompt him. This will cause every child to 
study every plionogram, and will greatly increase the effectiveness of the 
drill. If the proper rate of speed is maintained, you will "go round" a 



MANUAL OF INSTRUCTION FOR TEACHERS. 9 

class of fifty in two or three minutes. It will be sufficient to do this twice 
each day. At first most of the scholars will miss. Pay no attention to this. 
Above all, find no fault with it. In a few days you will note a decided 
improvement. Finally, most of the scholars will be able to name any of 
the single phonograms without the slightest hesitation. This is what they 
7nust be able to do before they can read by means of these characters. Aside 
from this, the ability to concentrate their attention quickly, which this simple 
exercise, persevered in, will ultimately give your pupils, will be of great 
value both to you and to them in more than one direction. 

Three cautions are necessary to complete this part of the subject : First, 
Never attempt to teach a phonogram until you are absolutely sure that you 
know how to pronounce it yourself. (Directions for the pronunciation of 
the more difficult phonograms in the Initial Stock will be found over Pho- 
netic List No. 1.) Second, Never teach a new phonogram until all those 
previously presented have been thoroughly learned. Third, Never accept 
from your scholars anything but the exact pronunciation of any phonogram. 

3. The Ear-training. 

This, like the teaching of the phonograms, is a preparation for phonetic 
reading. Like the latter, also, it should begin at the very commencement of 
the term and be practiced daily. With brisk work, five minutes a day should 
suffice for it. 

Conduct the exercise as follows : — 

Tell a little story introducing every here and there a word from Phonetic 
List No. 1. Give the phonetic words by their sounds, not as wholes, uttering 
the successive sounds rapidly but separately, thus : — 

fold, nail, sa/, so, etc. 

Let the scholars, in every case, tell the word as soon as you have thus pro- 
nounced it. Whenever they fail to recognize the word, repeat it for them, 
this time running the sounds together, but greatly prolonging every sound 
except the last, so that it may be distinctly heard. As a matter of economy, 
you may, whenever your scholars are sufficiently interested to justify you 
in so doing, dispense with the story -work in this exercise and use the single 
phonetic words only. 



10 THE RATIONAL METHOD IN READING. 

II. 

FIRST HALF-YEAR'S WORK. — SECOND STAGE. 

(TIME, ABOUT THREE WEEKS.) 



SIGHT READING FROM THE FIRST BOOK, PART I., AND FURTHER 
PREPARATION FOR PHONETIC READING. 



Three lines of work are to be separately practiced every day : — 

1. Sight-reading from the Book, Part I. 

2. Drill on the Phonograms. 

3. Drill on the Blend. 

1. The Book-reading. 

The words in Part I. of the book having been thoroughly taught and read 
in blackboard sentences, the book itself next comes into use. The book- 
reading will now, of course, be the main reading-work of the day, the other 
exercises being, as before, auxiliary and preparatory to the Phonetic Reading. 

The transition from script to print will be found an easy one, very little 
intermediate work being required. The following is perhaps as good a 
method of bridging the gap between blackboard and book as any : — 

The teacher begins by placing upon the blackboard, in both script and 
print, a number of short sentences from the reader, the print under the 
script, thus, — 

I see you. Do • yon see? See me eat. 

and requiring the children in the case of each sentence, to read first the 



MANUAL OF INSTRUCTION FOR TEACHERS. 11 

script and then the print. After they have done tiiis, she erases the script 
and requires them to read the print by itself. 

When reasonable success has been attained in this way, she reverses the 
process by placing sentences as before on the blackboard in both script and 
print, the former now under the latter, thus, — 

Do I see well? Look at me, Jack. 

(A^a Cy dee ^i^e-C-C P .^o-aS t^{^ ^^^yie^ J/t^eS. 

and requiring the children to read only the print, nsing the script for refer- 
ence when necessary. 

She next writes sentences as above, the script under the print, and, cov- 
ering the script, requires the children to read the print, uncovering the script 
only as it becomes necessary to do so. When the children have attained 
such proficiency in reading the print that they seldom need to see the script, 
they are ready for the book. 

Another good method is the following: — 

The teacher begins by placing upon the board, in print only, any conven- 
ient short sentence, say, for instance, — 

Do yon see me? 

She then tvrites, at some distance from the sentence, the word see, and, 
after the scholars have pronounced it, requires them to find it in the sen- 
tence. This having been done, she treats Do in the same way, then me, then 
you; taking the words in an irregular order. When all the Avords have thus 
been discovered, she requires some scholar to read the sentence as a whole. 

This operation is repeated again and again with other sentences until the 
scholars read blackboard print pretty well. 

The teacher next directs the attention of the children to some convenient 
sentence in the book, and writes its words one at a time on the blackboard, 
having each pronounced as it is written, and then found in the book sen- 
tence, which, when all of its words have been thus determined, is read as 
a whole. 

Either or both of the foregoing methods may be used to whatever extent 
may be found necessary, not only as a preliminary to the Jirst book reading, 



12 THE RATIONAL METHOD IN READING. 

but as a preparation for successive book lessons after the first. If, however, 
the sight words have been thoroughly taught in script, the scholars should 
read print as freely as they do script, within a week of the commencement^ 
and should complete Part I. of the book within three or, at most, four weeks. 

2. The Drill on the Phonograms. 

This will proceed as before, the cards being the means employed ; but 
now the print side will be used as well as the script side. As the knowl- 
edge of the single phonograms is the foundation of all the phonetic reading, 
and as the ability to utter the phonograms of a word in quiclc succession is 
absolutely essential to perception of the blend, too much stress cannot be 
laid upon the necessity of thoroughly following the directions already given 
for this exercise. 

3. The Drill on the Blend. 

This consists in the reading of single phonetic words. It combines prac- 
tice on the individual phonograms, with the ear-training prescribed for the 
" First Stage " of the work, separate oral exercises for the latter, from this 
point on, being no longer used. The material employed is found in Phonetic 
List No. 1, which is arranged in sections according to the difficulty of the 
words presented. Section B should not be used until the scholars can readily 
read words from section A ; section C, until they can readily read words 
from section B, and so on. 

The following is the best method of procedure : — 

The teacher at the beginning writes upon the blackboard some word from 
section A, — let us say fcU. She covers the at, and, pointing to the /, asks the 
scholars to tell what it is (sound). She then covers the /and asks what the 
at is. Finally she uncovers the whole word and asks the scholars to put the 
two sounds together, and tell what word they make. If they cannot do this, 
she herself tells, making the /, when she pronounces the word, long and 
prominent. She then uses in the same way the other at words, — mat, Nat, 
rat, and sat. — and then words of other series. 

As soon as the scholars have acquired sufficient ability to read words in 
this way, the teacher ceases to present them in series, but takes them hence- 



MANUAL OF INSTRUCTION FOR TEACHERS. 13 

forth irregularly. She ceases, also, to assist the pupils by covering first one 
phonogram and then the other. 

After the first few clays of blend-work, from thirty to fifty single words 
froin Phonetic List No. 1 should be read by the scholars from the blackboard 
every day, until Part I. of the book is read through. And for the encourage- 
ment of the weaker scholars, the first of these words, as well as every third 
or fourth word thereafter, should be an extremely easy one that all who will try 
can get. This is a very important point. A glimmer of light here and there 
will keep the dull scholars trying; while persistent discouragement will 
ultimately kill all desire to try. The teacher should ever keep it in mind 
that the object is not to have the words memorized, but to give the scholars 
ability to read them by their phonograms. As there are but about 220 
words in all in Phonetic List No. 1, the words given after the first few 
days will involve many repetitions of words previously given ; but, if the 
words are always, as they should be, selected at random, there will be no 
memorizing of them as wholes to speak of, and therefore no interference 
with the phonetic reading. 

No less work than the amount prescribed above Avill do. Perception of 
the blend comes slowly to many scholars ; but when it does come, it comes 
to stay. Practice will make them perfect ; nothing else will. 

The exercise must be so conducted that every scholar is constantly hop- 
ing to get the next word. This will cause every one to attend closely through- 
out, and get the full benefit of the lesson ; whereas a method that leads the 
scholar to look for his turn, and nothing else, will, most likely, be barren of 
results. 

One most important direction remains to be given. If the phonograms 
are well learned, there will be a strong tendency among the pupils, the 
moment a phonetic word is presented, to whisper the sounds to themselves. 
The buzzing thus produced must not he checked. It is not disorder. It is 
the only means by which beginners of average ability can get at the words. 
For several months they cannot carry the sounds ment^ally so as to get the 
blend. They must actually hear them. The unwillingness of teachers with 
wrong ideas of discipline to permit this perfectly natural process to go on, 
is one among several reasons why phonetic reading has hitherto generally 
proved a failure. 



14 THE RATIONAL METHOD IN READING. 

III. 

FIRST HALF-YEAR'S WORK. — THIRD STAGE. 

(TIME, ABOUT NINE WEEKS.) 



COMBINED SIGHT AND PHONETIC READING, FROM THE FIRST BOOK, 

PART II., WITH AUXILIARY EXERCISES TO STRENGTHEN 

AND PERFECT THE WORK. 



Three lines of work are to be separately practiced every day : — 

1. Reading from the Book, Part II, 

2. Drill on the Phonograms. 

3. Drill on the Blend. 

1. The Book-reading. 

This differs from the reading in Part I. in this : That every sentence 
contains some phonetic reading. At first the quantity is small, but one, or, 
at most, two phonetic words being used in a sentence. The reason for thus 
limiting the phonetic work is that the children being yet somewhat slow in 
perception of the blend, too many phonetic words would prove an obstruc- 
tion to the thought-getting. New sight- words are added from time to time, 
including some that may afterward be used as word-phonograms. New 
phonograms are also taught, and, as a consequence, phonetic words differing 
slightly in character from those previously used are constantly introduced ; 
but in no case are new sight-words presented in the same lesson with a new 
phonogram. 

In this mixed sight and phonetic reading as in the sight-reading on the 
blackboard used in Part I., no scholar must ever be allowed to read a sentence 
until he is ready to do so without a halt or break. At the very first indica- 
tion of a break, he must be stopped and told not to begin again until he is 



MANUAL OF INSTRUCTION FOR TEACHERS. 15 

ready ; but while he is getting ready, he must be permitted to tell (by num- 
ber) which word he cannot get. If it be a sight-word, he must be told ; if a 
phonetic word, he must be asked to give its sounds, and then, failing to 
recognize the word, to give them faster. Finally, if he cannot get the word, 
the other scholars must be called upon to tell him. 

2. The Drill on the Phonograms. 

This must be continued daily throughout the course. Whenever a new 
phonogram is taught, the card that contains it must be added to the number 
used in the daily drills. The knowledge of the individual phonograms being 
the foundation upon which the whole superstructure in phonetic reading 
rests, the daily repetition of all thus far taught is in a certain sense a review 
of the entire subject, which will do wonders in the way of bringing together, 
at the end of the term, scholars whose previous training and opportunities 
for attending school have been widely different. 

3. The Drill on the Blend. 

Perception of the blend comes rapidly to a favored few, but to the aver- 
age scholar only as a result of careful training. The practice, therefore, in 
phonetic reading afforded by sentences that contain but one or two phonetic 
words each, is but a small portion of what is required that proficiency may 
be attained. For this reason, you must give your scholars, on the black- 
board, every day, at least thirty or forty single phonetic words to read. 
The words are to be selected largely from the Phonetic List that accompanies 
the phonogram last learned, but many words from lists previously used 
should be mingled with them. Remember the direction previously given, 
to have many extremely easy words distributed among the others for the 
encouragement of the duller pupils, and remember that the " buzzing " which 
the scholars make in trying to get at the words "under their breath," being 
necessary, is not disorderly, and must not be suppressed. 



LISTS OF PHONETIC WORDS 

FOR USE IN BLEND DRILLS AND IN BLACKBOARD 
SENTENCE READING. 



RULES FOR MARKING OBSERVED IN THESE LISTS. 

1. Sight-words (words taught as wholes) uncombined with other words 
should not be marked. 

2. A sight-word found within another word and having there its usual 
sound, shoiild be set off as a single phonogram by an underdrawn horizontal 
line. 

Examples: ail in f ail , ails in fails, he in hejt, itS in 

f its , etc., etc. 

3. A compound phonogram used as part of a word should ordinarily be 
set off as a single phonogram by an underdrawn horizontal line. 

Examples: ights in f ightS , im in limp, illgS in WmgS, 

etc., etc. 

4. When a compound phonogram or a word phonogram forms by itself 
either the first or the last syllable of a word, it should not be marked, but 
should be slightly separated from the rest of the word. 

Examples: ing in leaping, cr in miller, cst in Smallest, 
un in unlik^, undoing, be in become, etc., etc. 

Exception. — When the compound phonogram is immediately preceded 

16 



MANUAL OF INSTRUCTION FOR TEACHERS. 17 

or succeeded by a silent (crossed-out) letter, no other separation than that 
made by the silent letter should occur. 

Examples : er in lo^er, ish in red^ish, ed in irtjted, 
un in unknown, etc., etc. 

5. Other phonograms should be marked in words as they are marked at 
the heads of the following lists. 

Examples: € and O in €0^1, a in Sap, Ctc, CtC. 

6. Silent letters and letters so slightly or obscurely sounded that their 
omission will not involve the loss of a syllable, should be crossed out. 

Examples: e in fin^, g in ^nat, in JeSS^Il or mutj[!0n, 

etc, etc. 



oJ»{o 



PHONETIC LIST NO. 1. 



LENGTH LIMIT: THREE PHONOGRAMS. 



Phonograms. — f, 1, m, n, r, s,— a, e, o,— ing, ings, iglit, ights, 

— and short sight-words from Part I. (Primer) of the First Book. 

To make the sound of I, place the tip of the tongue against the roof of 
the mouth behind the front teeth, and holding it there say ull (latter part of 
full). 

To make the sound of r, press the side edges of the tongue against the 
upper side teeth, curling the tip up until it almost touches the roof of the 
mouth. Then say 7ir, curling the r part well (but not trilling it) and making 
precisely the same vowel sound that occurs in I. 

The other phonograms in this list, it is believed, all teachers can sound 
without special instruction. 



18 THE RATIONAL METHOD IN READING. 

Note. — The directions at the tops of the lists are for the teacher only. Do not give 
them to the scholars. Above all, do not have the scholars learn them. They should 
acquire the power to give the sounds by listening and imitating. A few exceptions will 
be noted as they occur. 

A. 

f ail , f ails , f all , fan, fat, f ight , f ights , fill, fin, fit, f its , 
f old , l and , l ight , l ights , lit, mail, m ails , man, m any , mat, 
Mat, meat, meats, might, mill, moM, nail, n ails . Nan, 
Nat, neat, n ight , n ights , r ail , r ails , r an , rat, r ight , r ights , 
rill, ring, rings, s ail , s ails , S am , s and , sat, s eat , s eats , 
sight, si ghts , sill, s ing , s ings , sit, sits, s old , s well , s wells . 

B. 

An|i, l^no^^, oji, o^^^, fus^, ^nat, |(ne0, jinit, j^nits, 
laml^, mitf, mus^, sno^. 

c. 

a;i'm, e^r, e^l, V\J, I'm, iRf, Le^, lo^, ma/. Ma/, mo^, 
ra/, Ra/, ro^, ro^, sa/, se^, so, so^, ^ ring . ^r ings . 

D. 

eatfa, hedl. hedr, he^l, j^no^^n, J^no^^ing, megJL megjn. 
o^r, o^ing, o^n, seem, seen, she'll, too l, wedn. we'll, 
we'r^, you 'll you 'r^, you r. 

Eo 

cannot, faUing, faUing, faniiing, f ight ing, filling, 
fold ing, l and ing, lighting, mailing, mold ing, nail ing. 



MANUAL OF INSTRUCTION FOR TEACHERS. 19 



railing, railings, ring ing, sailing, seating, seeming, 
singing, swelling, s well ings, willoA^, within, without. 

F. 

a/ming, fMng, fussing, healing, hearing, healing, 
(knitting, la/ing, losing, matting, meaning, moA^ing, 
mussing, o^^n ing, ro\/^ing, sa/ing, sa/ings, sitjiiing, 
sno^ ing, so^^ing, we^n ing. 

G. 

fallen, fat]l^^n, fats, fe^r, fe^l, fo^m, for^, fo]ir, ^nats, 
la/n, lam^, lan^, le^f, le^n, Leo, l ight en. lit]t!l^, lo^f, 
lo^n, man^. Mat's, mats, mitj(!^n, mo^n, mol^, Mo^r^, 
mor^, mo^^n, nam^, Nat's, ne^r, ra/n, ratjTl^, rins^, ro^m, 
ro^r, rolj, saf^, sal^, sam^, satin, se^l, se^m, sol^, sor0, 
y^ritj(!^n, 

H. 

flat, fle^,, fl ing , fl ings , flo^^, fre^, f right , slam, slat, 
sl ight , slrng, sl ings , slit, slits, slo^, small, snail, snails, 
stool. 



20 THE RATIONAL METHOD IN READING. 



PHONETIC LIST NO 2. 



LENGTH LIMIT: FOR WORDS ENDING WITH ING, INGS, OR S, FOUR 
PHONOGRAMS; FOR OTHER WORDS, THREE. 



New Phonogkam : S. 



(Also a number of additional sight-words used in the Reader before the intro- 
duction of this phonogram.) 

To make the sound of S place the organs of speech in position for s 
and force the voice strongly, but not suddenly or explosively, through, pro- 
ducing a decided buzzing sound. 

a/ms, Anyi's, another, another's, anyone, anyhow, 
anyone's, anything, anyway, e^rs, e^s^, e^ls, falls, fans, 
fatjti^ning, fat)l^^ns, fearing, fe^rs, feeling, feelings, fe^ls, 
fills, fins, fle^s, fl ing ing, flowing, flo^^s, forming, fo^ms, 
folds. fo}irs, fr iend , fr iends , hedls, he^rs, he^ls, he's, 
however, ]^ne^ling, ]ine^ls, ]^ne^s, J^noA^s, lamias, lamia's, 
lam^s, laming, l and s, lan^s, l ate , la/s, leafing, le^fs, 
leaning, le^ns, l end , l end ing, l ends , Leo's, loaning, 
lo^ns, lo^s, man^s, man's, mate, mates, Ma/'s, me^ls, 
meaning, medns. mend, m end ing, m ends , miUs, mmijioy^, 
mitjt^^ns, moaning, mo^ns, molds, mol^s, Mo(^r^'s, m other , 
m others , m other's , nam^s, naming. Nan's, n ever , nos^, 
o^rs, onto, o^^^s, o^^ns, overdo, overdoes, overcome, 



MANUAL OF INSTRUCTION FOR TEACHERS. 21 

overeat, overeaten, overeats, overlook, overlooks, 
oversee, over seen, oversees, over s ight , overtake, 
overtakes, over take n, r ails , ra/ning, ra|ns, ra/s^, 
ra/sing, rate, raifl^s, rattl ing , ra/s, Ra/'s, riUs, rinsing, 
rinsings,, rooming, ro^ms, roaring, ro^rs, ro^s, roljing, 
roljs, ros^, Ros^, ro^s. R over , R over 's, sal^s, Sam's, 
sealing, se^ms, se^s, seems, s end , sending, s ends , 
s ever gil, she's, sills, slami/iing, slams, slate, slats, 
sl ing ing, slit]tiing, smother, snoring, sno^s, sol^s, 
soling, somehow, something, sor^s, soa^s, stools, s up , 
s up ping, sups, tools, upon, upright, wedns, weds^l, 
will ows, vou rs. 

PHONETIC LIST NO. 3. 



LENGTH LIMIT: SAME AS FOR LIST NO. 2. 



New Phonograms : i and y. 

^s, ^ying, fl^, flf^, flf^s, fifing, fll^, fll^s, 

filing, fln^, fny, flr^s, firing, fly, fli^s, flying, fly's, 

fry, frl^s, frying, fy, |inlf^, ll^, li^s, llf^, llm^, lln^, 

lin^s, lining, lying, mil^, mil^s, mln^, mir^, my, nin0, 

nin^s, ris^, rising, ry^, sl^|i, sl^)4ing, sl^|is, si^n, 
signing, sl^-ns, sly, fry. 



22 THE RATIONAL METHOD IN READING. 



PHONETIC LIST NO. 4. 



LENGTH LIMIT: SAME AS FOR LIST NO. 2. 



New Phonograms: k and t (as terminals). 

{Also a number of additional sight-words used in the Reader before the intro- 
duction of these phonograms.) 

ant, ants, be?ik, be^ks, be to, beaming, bedms, bedn, 
be^ns, be^t, beating, begits, become, becomes, be^, be^s, 
be^f, be^t, be^tl^, be^ts, being, didn't, e^st, fe^t, font, 
he^t, heating, he^ts, lakf^, lak^s, le^k, leaking, le^ks, 
lift, mate, mates, me^t, meeting, me^ts, mint, mit^, 
mlt^s, musk, must, not^v, not^s, o^k, o^ks, o^t, o^ts, 
rak^, rak^s, raking, rust, rusting, rusts, sak^, sak^s, 
seek, seeking, seeks, she^t, sheeting, sheets, sift, silk, 
silks, sle^k, snijf, so^k, soaking, so^ks, swe^t, swe^t^n, 
sweats, s wing , s wing ing, s wings , wedk, wedkfa, 
wedkfa ing, we^k^ns, we^k, we^ks, winging, ^fY\^, 
^rit^s, Writing, ^rot^. 



MANUAL OF INSTRUCTION FOR TEACHERS. 23 



PHONETIC LIST NO. 5. 



LENGTH LIMIT: FOR WORDS ENDING WITH ER, ERS, ING, INGS, OR S, 
FOUR PHONOGRAMS; FOR OTHER WORDS, THREE. 



New Phonograms: er and ers (as terminals). 

(Also a number of additional siglit-ioords used in the Reader before the intro- 
duction of these phonograms.) 

Pronounce the above phonograms like ir and irs in sir and sirs. 

answer, answering, answers, better, betters, be^tl^s, 
Easter, eater, eaters, fatjt!er, feeler, feelers, fifer, 
fifers, fighter, f ight ers, finer, fitjt!er, fitjl^ers, folder, 
fold ers, flatj(!er, liyer, flyers, friends, hearer, he^r ers, 
in^er, kinder, |4nitjf!er, )^nitjl!ers, lamer, later, la/er, 
la/ers, leaner, l end er, l end ers, lifter, lifters, lifting, 
lifts, lighter, l ight ers, litter, lit;Cering, litjiers, lo^^er, 
lowering, lo^^ers, maker, makers, manner, manners, 
mat]t!er, matjfers, meaner, mender, menders, milker, 
milkers, miller, millers, mold er, mold ers, mo^er, 
movers, nearer, neater, older, o\^ner, owners, raker, 
rakers, r^fer, rat]fers, r ing er, r ing ers, roljer, rollers, 
ro^er, roA^ers, safer, sailer, sailers, sender, s end ers. 



24 THE RATIONAL METHOD IN READING. 



sifter, sifters, sifting, sifts, s ing er, s ing ers, slates, 
sl ight er, slo^^er, slyer, smaller, smothering, sm others , 
sniffing, sniffs, sorer, so^er, sobers, s up per, s up j^ers, 
sweater, thinker, thinkers, up]^er, uppers, weaker, 
wetjl^er, y^ringer, W ring ers, ^riter, Writers. 



o>Hc 



PHONETIC LIST NO. 6. 



LENGTH LIMIT FOR THIS AND ALL SUCCEEDING LISTS: 
FOUR PHONOGRAMS. 



New Phonograms : o and ck. 

(Also a number of additional sight-words used in the Reader before the intro- 
duction of these phonograms.) 

acorn, befor^, be friend, belief, belo^, corn er, 
corn ering, corn ers, corning, day l ight , fa/nt, fe^st, flak^, 
flam^, fle^t, flmt, flo^t, flock, flo^r, flo^^n, folJoA^, fram^, 
Friday, frock, horse-fly, ]^n6ck, J^nocker, ]inockers, 
Jtnocking, J^nocks, k not , knots, knotting, le^st, lock, 
locking, locks, los^, lost, lot, lots, min^oy^s, mock, 
mocker, mockers, mocking, mocks, m6r/o>^, mos^, most, 
oil offend, of^er, offering, offers, ofjf^n, ofjT^ner, OtjTo, 



MANUAL OF INSTRUCTION FOR TEACHERS. 25 

OtjfJo's, rock, rocker, rockers, rocking, rocks, Roljo, 
rot, rots, I'oifi^n, ibtfmg, sle^k, sle0, sllm^, smedr. 
smearing, smears, smll^, sinok^, snak^, sne^k, snor^, 
snoring, snores, sock, socks, soft, sofjf^^n, sor^^o^^, 
supi^os^, uproar. 

PHONETIC LIST NO. 7. 

New Phonogram: p (as a terminal only). 

ap^, hegip. helping, hedps. lamp, lamps, le^p, le^per, 
leaping, le^ps, lop, 16p}^ing, lops, mop, mopping, mops, 
mop^, mop^s, moping, op^n, opener, openers, opening, 
openings, op^ns, re^p, reaper, reapers, reaping, re^ps, 
rip^, rlp^n, riper, romp, rop^, rop^s, roping, she^p, 
sheep's, sle^p, slop, slop^, snlp^, so^p, soaping, so^ps, 
sop, sopiting, sops, stoop, stooping, stoops, swe^p, 
sweeper, sweepers, sweeping, sweeps, we^p, weeper, 
weepers, weeping, we^ps. 



26 THE RATIONAL METHOD IN READING. 

PHONETIC LIST NO. 8. 

p and t anywhere. 
(Also a 7iumber of additional sight-words from the Reader. ) 

armpit, Butler, butjt^er, butting, butjli^n, butjt^(^ns, 
butjt^s, f arm , farmer, farming, f arms , handl^, hand les. 
hand l ing , pail, p ails , pa/n, pa/ning, pa/ns, paj^nt, pal^, 
paler, pan, pans, pan^l, pan^, pan^s, paper, papers, 
past^, pat, pats, patjtJer, patjt^ering, patjf^ers, patj^ing, 
pa/, pa/er, pa/ers, pa/ing, pa/s, pe^ pe^s, pe^s^, pe^l, 
peeler, peelers, peeling, pe^ls, pe^p, peeper, peepers, 
peeping, pe^ps, pe^pl^, pi^, pi^s, pll^, pil^s, piling, 
pill, pills, pin, pinning, pins, pin^, pining, pln^s, plp0, 
piper, pipers, plp^s, piping, pit, pits, pit](!ing, pla^n, 
plan, planiiing, plans, plan^, plant, plate, plates, plat)({er, 
platjfers, player, players, playing, pleat, pleat er. 
pleat ers, pleating, pl eats , plot, pok^, poker, pokers, 
pok^s, poking, pol^, pol^s, PolJ, Pole's, pop, popj^er, 
p6p]^ers, popf^ing, pops, pork, post, pot, potjCer, p6t)liers, 
p6t](^ing, pots, po]ir, poyiring, po)irs, pout, pout er, 
pouters, pouting, pouts, pra/s^, Pratjl^, Pratjii's, praj^, 
praj^er, pra/ers, pra/ing, pra/s, prop, p up , p up s, sle^p, 
span, span|iing, spans, spat, spats, spatji^er, spatjKers, 



MANUAL OF INSTRUCTION FOR TEACHERS. 27 

spatfing, spe^k, spe^r, sp end , sp end ing. sp ends , spl^s 
spik^, spill, spilling, spills, spilt, spin, spinier, spinners 
spin^iing, spins, spir0, spit, spits, spitji'ing, spitjl^l^, spit^ 
spok^, spot, spout, spouting, spouts, spy, spying, sta/n 
stak^, stal^, staJJ, stalls, stami/ier, stami/iers, stamp 
st and , st and ing, st and s, sta/, sta/ing, sta/s, st^ak, ste^l 
ste^m, ste^l, ste^r, stif|', stifjf^n, stif;fer, still, stiller 
stock ston^, stol^, stop, stor^, tail, t ails , taken, tal^ 
tal^s, t all , tall er, tam^, tamer, tamers, tam^s, taming 
t an , taniAer, tankers, tantiing, tans, tap^, taper, tapers 
tap^s, tast^, tatjCer, tatjt^ers, tatjl'l^, te^, te^s, te^s^ 
teasing, te^m, te^ms, te^r, te^rs, tend, tender, tending 
tends, t/er, t/ers, tl^, tl^s, t ight , t ight en, t ight er, tiU 
tlm^, tlm^s, tin, tinyier, tinyiers, tinging, tins, tln^ 
tin^s, tlr^, tir^s, tiring, to)4st, to^, toeing, to^s, t old 
Tom, Tom's, ton^, ton^s, top, t6p]/)l^, tops, tor^, torn 
tos^, tosher, tossing, tot, tot/er, tot)fers, t6t]l!l^, tra/n 
tvaf, tra/s, treat, tre^, tre^s, trip^, triU, trilling, trills 
try, trl^s, trying, tus^l^, t will , 't will , t will ing, t wills 
tying. 



28 THE RATIONAL METHOD IN READING. 

PHONETIC LIST NO. 9. 

C and k anywhere. 
(Also a number of additional sight-ivords from the Reader.) 

a€Ji^, aeji^s, a€|4ing, eak^, eak^s, eall, ealler, eallers 
€alling, ealls, eam^, eamp, eamp ing, €amps, can, canning 
€aiis, €andl^, eandl^s, €an^, ean^s, eaning, eap^, eaper 
€apers, eap^s, €as^, eat, eats, eat's, eats', eatp^, ela^m 
elam, elatjfer, elatjf!ers, ela/, ele^n, ele^r, elim}^, eling 
elmging, elings, elo^k, elock, elos^, elos^, elover, eo^l 
eo^st, eo^t, eo^ts, eoeo^, eoife^, ebf/in, eok^, e old , eolder 
eolds, eolt, eom]^, eom|^ing, eom]zis, e6mi/i(^ii, eopj^er 
eor^, eor^s, eoring, eost, eot, eots, eotjl^^n, eram 
erami/iing, erams, eramp, eran^, -€ran^, erate, ere^k 
ere^m, ere^k, ere^p, ero^k, erock, erop, eros^, ero^ 
ero^er, ero^ers, eroding, ero^^s, erust, Kate, Kate's 
ke^p, keeper, keepers, keeping, ke^ps, kill, killing 
kills, kit, kits, kitjt!^n, kitjl^^ns, kit]t!^n's, kitjl^^ns', oversaw 
overwork, p each , pr each , preacher, pr each ing, reach 



reaching, sawing, seal^, seamp. scant, seatji^er, seatjCers 
seoM, scolder, scolders, seold ing. scolds. Scotjt^, see-saw 
skate, skiljf, skiffs, skiU, skin, skmyling, skins, sky 
ski^s, teach, teacher, teaching, whoever, who m, who 's 
whos^, who sever. worker, workers, working, workman 



MANUAL OF INSTRUCTION FOR TEACHERS. 29 

PHONETIC LIST NO. 10. 

New Phonogram : a. 

aet, acting, aets, AlJ^n, AlJ^n's, aY]t6\f, axfo^^s, aster, 
asters. a;Ctack, att end , att ends , attending, eackl^, eap, 
caps, eastl^, erack, faet, flap, lack, lacking, lacks, lap, 
lapj^ing, laps, mar^o^, nap, napping, naps, nar;'o\/^ 
pack, packing, packs, rack, racks, rap, rapj^ing, rfips, 
sack, sacks, sap, slap, smack, snap, stack, tack, tacking, 
tacks, t^l^o^^, tap, tapj^ing, taps, track, trap, ^rap, 
^rapjier, ^rapfiers, ^rapi^ing, ^raps. 

PHONETIC LIST NO. 11. 



fie 

New Phonograms : j • i ^^^ ip. 



{Also a number of additional sight-words used in the Reader before the intro- 
duction of these phonograms.) 

In presenting these phonograms, show that they begin alike, and that 
the first is ic because it ends with (the sound) C or ck, and the other is ij) 
because it ends with (the sound) p. Before using them in words, drill the 
scholars well in distinguishing between them. 

atjfic, atji'ics, click, clicking, clicks, colic, comic, Eric, 
kick, kicker, kickers, kicking, kicks, lick, licking, licks. 



30 THE RATIONAL METHOD IN READING. 

meehan ic, mice, nice, nick, nicking, nicks, Xick. Nick's, 
nickel, pick, picker, pickers, picking, picks, pickl^. 
pickles, pickl ing , picnic, price, prick, prick er. prickers, 
pricking, prickle, pricks, r ice , seller, sellers, selling, 
shall ow, shallower, s ick , sicker, sicken, sickly, slice, 
snicker, snickers, spice, spick, stick, sticking, sticks, 
tick, ticker, tickers, ticking, ticks, tick^. tickler, 
t ick l ers , tickling, tickles, trice, trick, tricking, trickl^. 
tricks, whenever, wind ow, wind ows, elip, elipjier, 
clipj^ers, €lip]^ing, clips, erip^^^l^, lip, lips, nip, nippier, 
nipi^ers, nipping, nips, pip, pips, pipj^in, pipi^ins, rip, 
ripjiing, rips, ripj^l^, rip]^l^s, rippling, sip, sipj^ing, 
skip, skipjier, skippers, skipping, skips, slip, slipper, 
slippers, slipi^ing, slips, snip, snipj^ing, snips. Tip, 
Tip's, tip, tipi^r, tipjiers, tipping, tips, tip-to^, trip, 
tripping, trips, triply. 

PHONETIC LIST NO. 12. 

Kew Phoxogkams : im and is (not is). 

Present by the method suggested at the head of List Xo. 11. 

Teach the children to distinguish between the second phonogram (pro- 
nounced iss) and the icorcl is, by giving them to read a number of easy sen- 
tences in which both occur. 



MANUAL OF INSTRUCTION FOR TEACHERS. 31 

erimp, erimps, lim^, limbs, limp, limping, limps, 
mim ic, mim ick ing, mimics, mis take, mis takes, 
mis take n, pimply, primer, primers, rim, rims. Sim. 
Sim's, simi/ier, simple, skim, skinnier, skimi/iers, 
skimi/iing, skims, slice, slim, slimiiier. spice, Tim. Tim's, 
trice, trim, trhni/ier, trimulers. trimming, trimmings, 
trims. 

Assist, erisp, fist, fists, frisk, insist, kis^, kisser, 
kissers, kissing, lisp, lisping, lisps, list, lists, lis;t^n, 
lisjK^n er, listen ers, lisj^n ing, listens, Mis^, mis^, missing, 
mist. Mister, pistil, risk, risking, risks, sister, sisters, 
sist er's , sisters', ^rist, ^^Tists. 

PHONETIC LIST NO. 13. 

New Phonogram : W. 

(^Also one additional sight-word used in the Header before the introduction of 

this phonogram.) 

The real sound of this phonogram cannot be given alone. It is that 
peculiar slide or twist that occurs between long oo and any other vowel 
sound when we attempt to pass from one to the other without stopping. 
Thus : OOet, OOa}^, etc., etc. We therefore teach the children to call 
it 00 and, in words, to smother or shorten the vowel part, to the point of 
suppression. 

jiour, jlours, fl our , flouring, fl ours , s our , souring, sours, 
scour, scouring, sc ours , swam, swift, swim, swimmer. 



32 THE RATIONAL METHOD IN READING. 

swimi/iers, swimi/iing, swims, swln^, swor^, twice, twm, 
twins, twin^, wafer, wafers, wail wailing, wails, wa|t, 
wa/ter, wa/ters, wa/ting, wa/ts, wa/st, wak^, wak^n, 
wak^s, waking, wall, walls, wast^, wick, wicks, wick er. 
wif^, wife's, wilt, wilting, wilts, win, winder, win^iers, 
winding, windings, wins, win^, win^s, winter, winters, 
wlp^, wip er, wip ers, wip^s, wip ing, wlr^, w^ir^s, wir ing, 
wis^, wiser, wisp, wisps, wok^, wor^, worn. 

PHONETIC LIST NO. 14. 

New Phonograms: 6, CSt, IcSS, and nCSS. 

After teaching Q, write est, less, and ness on the blackboard, mark them 
thus : est, leS^, neS^, and have them read. Finally have them com- 
mitted as wholes without marks. 

armless, a^^rest, cap less, coldest, cold ness. crest, 
cresting, crests, earless, e^t, ecjio, ec^io^s, ecjioing, 
Eljen, Eljen's, els^, endless, enter, EstMer, fatness, 
fattest, fearless, felj, feljo^, felt, fester, festering, 
f esters , finest, flatjiiest, forest, freest, friendless, fret, 
fusses, jionest, illness, ken^i^l, kept, ketjfl^, kindest, 
kindness, kisses, jinelt, lameness, lamest, lateness. 



MANUAL OF INSTRUCTION FOR TEACHERS. 33 

latest, lateness, leafless, leanest, leanness, le^nt, left, 
lem^n, lent, Lent, less, lesser, lessen, l est , Lester, let, 
letjfer, letjfing, lets, l ight est, l ight ness, lifeless, likeness, 
lock less, lo\^est, lo^ness, meanest, mednness, me^nt, 
nle)lo^^, mel(in, melt, men, men's, mes^, met, met^l, 
misses, m other less, musses, nearest, nearness, neatest, 
neatness, neck, necks. NelJ, NelJ's, nest, nesting, nesjl^l^, 
nests, net, netjl!ing, nets, newest, newness, oldest, 
pa/nless, palest, paleness, pan^less, p each es, peck, 
pecking, pecks, pelt, pen, pens, pef^per, pej^pers, pest, 
pester, pester ing, pests, pet, pets, pett ing , pres^, Preston, 
ra/nless, r each es, rest, resting, rests, rimless, ripest, 
ripeness, safest, sapless, S'/ent, seamless, seat less, self, 
selj, seljer, seljers, seljing, seljs, sens^, sSnt, set, se](^ter, 
setters, sett ing , setjl^l^, sets, sickest, sickness, sl ight est, 
sl ight ness. slimi/iest, slimness, slowest, slowness, 
slyest, slyness, smallest, small ness, smelj, sorest^ 
soreness, sourest, sourness, spelj, stem, step, stif^est, 
stifl'ness, stillest, stillness, swe^t, tallest, tamest, 
tam^ness, t each es, tearless, teller, tellers, ten, tens, 
tent, t est , testing, tests, t ight est, t ight ness, tireless, 
treeless, trimiiiest, trim ness, weakest, weakness, went, 
wept. West, Weston, wetjfest, wick less, wingless, wisest. 



34 ^ THE RATIONAL METHOD IN READING. 

wis^ness, ^^l'en, ^^rens, 'yi^ren's, V'l'eck, ^^recking, ^/^recks, 



PHONETIC LIST NO. 15. 

New Phonogram: d (as a terminal only). 

Teach effect, not separate sound. Put fill and filled on the black- 
board, and call attention to the difference in appearance and the correspond- 
ing difference in sound. Then write call and called, and let the scholars 
try to name the latter. Repeat the process with other known words. 

ail^d, a/in^d, arm ^d, butjfer^d, h\\tf(/>n^d, €all^d, ean^d, 
clad, €oin^^d, €or^d, corn ed, corn ered, crl^d, cro^^d, 
e^s^d, ee^io^d, ^y^d, 'failed, fanyi^d, farmed, fe^r^d, 
felj^d, festered, fll^d, filled, floured, flo^^d, fo^m^d, 
fre^d, fri^d, frilled, handled, hedl^d, J^ne^l^d, killed, la/d, 
lam^d, le^n^d, ll^d, l ight ^n^d, lisf^n^d, lo^n^d, lo^^d, 
mad^, mailed, mir^d, mo^n^d, mo^^d, nailed, nam^d, 
one-arm^d, op^n^d, o^/^^d, o^n^d, pa/d, pa/n^d, pe^l^d, 
pen^^d, pestered, pll^d, pin^d, pin^^d, plaf^d, po]ir^d, 
pra/^d, ra/n^d, ra/s^d, re^d, re^r^d, ro^m^d, ro^r^d, 
rod^, rolj^d, ro^^^d, rusjlil^d, sailed, saw^d, scoured, 
se^l^d, se^m^d, seemed, si^|4^d, si^n^d, simi/ier^d, 
sm^^d, skimi/i^d, skm^^d, sno^^d, so^r^d, sol^d, s old . 



MANUAL OF INSTRUCTION FOR TEACHERS. 35 

soured, so\^^d, spilled, sta^d, s well ed, tam^d, tanyJM. 
te^s^d, tickled, tl^d, tir^d, tittered, to^d, t old , tolj^d, 
trl^d, trilled, trimiifiM. trod, wailed, walled, wedk^n^d. 
we^n^d, wing ed, wlr^d. 

fad^, find, insld^, kind, kindest, lad, lad(^er, ladders, 
-le)4d, le^d, leader, leaders, leading, le^ds, lo^d, 
loading, lo^ds, mad, maddest, ma/d, ma/ds, maiden, 
mild, mind, ne^d, pad, padd ing , pads, pad^l^, pla/d, 
prid^, re^d, reader, readers, reading, re^ds, rld^, rider, 
riders, rld^s, riding, rind, ro^d, sad, saddest, sad(?l^n, 
sadder, sld^, spad^, spe^d, ste^d, s\/'ord, tld^, to^d, 
tre^d, wad^, wader, waders, wad^s, wading, we^d, 
welder, welders, weeding, we^ds, wedding, who 'd, 
wld0, wld^n, wider, widest, wild, wind. 

PHONETIC LIST NO. 16. 

New Phonogram: d. (Pronounced, exactly like t.) 

(Also a number of additional sight-words used in the Reader before the intro- 
duction of this phonogram.) 

a€]i^d, eak^d, €ock^d, flf^d, fus^^d, had n't, he^p^d, 
iced, kicked, kis^^d, knocked, lacked, lapj^^d, le^k^d. 



36 THE RATIONAL METHOD IN READING. 

le^p^d, licked, lik^d, limped, locked, lopj^^d, milk ed, 
m imick ed, mis^^d, mocked, mop^d, mop^^d, mus^^d, 
nipl^^d, over look ed, over work ed, packed, pecked, picked, 
pok^d, pop|)^d, pr each ed, priced, rak^d, rapi^^d, reach ed, 
re^p^d, rinsed, rip]/^^d, rocked, sipj^^d, sliced, snif/^d, 
so^k^d, spiced, s up i^^d, tacked, tap^^d, ticked, tip^i^d, 
tos^^d, 't would , waived, wlp^d, work ed, would n't, iivap^^d^ 
^reck^d. 

PHONETIC LIST NO. 17. 

New Phonogram : ed. (Pronounced ed.) 

(Also a number of additional sight-ivords iised in the Header before the intro- 
duction of this phonogram.) 

a/rested, att end ed, butji'ed, crested. Ed, ended, faded, 
fed, fit](!ed, fled, fold ed, Fred, handed, heated, home- 
mad^, home-sick, ]^not]t!ed, l and ed, led, lifted, l ight ed, 
loaded, mated, matjiJed, med^l, meddl^. mended, molded, 
Ned, needed, netfed, pad(^ed, patjt!ed, ped^l, ped^l^, 
petjl^ed, pitjt^ed, potted, pouted, red, red(^^n, redder, 
reddest, rested, r6t]l^ed, rusted, sanded, scolded, seated, 
sided, sifted, sled, sped, tended, tilted, tested, tinted, 
waded, wa/ted, weeded, wedding, weren't, wicked, 
wickedest, wUted. 



MANUAL OP" INSTRUCTION FOR TEACHERS. 37 



PHONETIC LIST NO. 18. 

New Phonogram : C. 

qe^s^, ^e^s^d, ^e^s^less, ge^sing, Qegil, ge/1, qefl^d 
ge/ling, ge/lings, ge|ls, qelj, geljs, gent, gider, Cyrus 
fag^, fagt^d, faging, feng^, forg^, iges, iging, igicl^ 
lag^, lilg^d, laging, mag^, ming^, niing^d, minging 
niger, nig est, nig^ness, n|eg^, pag^, pag^d, pager 
pagers, paging, pe^g^, peng^, p/eg^, p/eg^d, pji^eging 
pingers, pring^, rag^, rag^d, rager, ragers, raging, smg^ 
spag^, trag^, wing^, wmg^d, winging. 

PHONETIC LIST NO. 19. 

New Phonograms : u and un. 

eluck, erum)^, €ud, ends, eud^l^, €uf^, €uf/^d, €uf;fing, 
€uf)fs, etit, €utjl^er, €ut]fers, eutjtiing, €ut;t'ings, eutfl^, f un , 
funyl^l, ftir/'ov/^, |£niickl^, luck, lump, mud, muf^, muf;fl^, 
mtif^s, muffin, mutjfer, mut]tJ^n, ntim^, numj^ing, 
num]^ness, num^s, nut, nuts, ntitjl^ing, pluck, plum, 
pucker, puckers, pud^l^, puf^, ptif/^d, puf;fing, ptif/s. 



38 THE RATIONAL METHOD IN READING. 

puls^, pump, i'M(/ler, ruf^l^, run, runiier. runiiers. 
running, runs, rum, seiid, sends, seud^ing, setim, sktilj, 
smut, snuf;f, spun, stuck, stiid, stuf;f, stun, stunii^d, 
stunning, stuns, stunt, stick, sucked, sucking, sucks, 
siid^^n, siids, stifjPer, suf;fers, sum, sums, sumi/ier, 
sumi/iers, sun, sunyi^d, sunning, sun less, suns, swiim, 
tuck, tiick^d, tucker, Tiicker, tucking, tucks, tunii^l, 
tunii^ls, un bedt^n, unbutjf.^n, un butjt^^n^d, unending, 
unfed, unfit, unkind, un kinder, unkind est, 
un kindness, unlac^, unless, unload, un lock, unmad^, 
unpack, unpa/d, unpin, unpin|^^d, unpin|iing, unpins, 
unrolj, unsaf^, unseen, unthinking, unti^, untied, 
unties, until, untying, unwell. 



PHONETIC LIST NO. 20. 

New Phonograms : sh and ish. 

ash, ashes, cash, clash, crash, crush, ^y^lash, finish, 
finished, finish ing, f ish , fished, fishes, fish ing. Fish er, 
Fisher's, flash, flesh, flush, fresh, Irish, lash, lashed, 
lashing, mash, mashed, masher, mashers, mashing, 
mush, petjt^ish, plash, pliish, Polish, polish, punish. 



MANUAL OF INSTRUCTION FOR TEACHERS. 39 

punished, punishing, radish, rash, reddish, relish, rtish, 
rushed, rushing, shad, shadov/^, shad^, shaded, shad(^s, 
shading, shad^less, shakf^, shaken, shilker, shrdvers, 
shakes, shaking, shalj, shall op, sham, shami/i^d, 
shami/iing, shams, shap^, shaped, shapes, shaping, 
shat]t!er, shed, shedding, sheds, sheepish, shelf, shelj, 
shelj^d, shelving, sheljs, shi^d, shield, shi^s, shift, 
shifted, shifting, shifts, shin, shins, shln^, shiner, 
shiners, shines, shining, shi_p, shipj^ing, shij^s, sho^l, 
shoals, shock, shocked, shocking, shocks, shod, shon^, 
shop, sh6p]^^d, sh6p}^er, shoppers, shopj^ing, shops, 
shoi'^, shores, shorn, shot, shots, sho^, sho\^^d, sho^^ing, 
sho^n, -sho^^s, shuck, shucks, shudder, shud(^ers, shuf/1^, 
shun, shunyi^d, shunyiing, shuns, shut, shut/ing, sMts, 
shutter, shtitjCers, shut](^l^, shy, shyer, shyest, shying, 
skitjtJish, slush, Spanish, trash, wish, wished, wisher, 
wish ers, wishes, wishing. 



40 THE RATIONAL METHOD IN READING. 

PHONETIC LIST NO. 21. 

New Phonogram : V. 

Sound, by placin;.^ the lower lip against the upper teeth and forcing the 
mice strongly but not suddenly between. 

advlg^, anvil, canvas, eav^, €av^d, cav^s, eaving, 
elov^, €rav^, e^v^s, Ev^, ev^n, evening, evenings, evil, 
fever, fevers, fiv^, flv^s, insid^, insist, mvlt^, Fv^, Iv^s, 
J^nlv^s, le^v^, le^v^s, leaving, leavings, lev^l, liv^, 
liv^s, lo^v^s, ov^l, ov^ls, pav^, pav^d, pilv^s, paving, 
peevish, rav^l, rov^, rov^d, rov^s, roving, Kover, 
Rover's, sav^, sav^d, saver, savers, sav^s, saving, 
savings, sev^n, shav^, shaved, shaver, shavers, shaves, 
shaving, shavings, sle^v^, stov^, uneven, vail, v ails , 
va|n, van, vans, vanish, vas^, ve^l, v end , vending, 
vender, v ends , ves^^l, vest, vin^, vln^s, vot^, voted, 
voter, voters, vot^s, voting, wav^, wav^d, wav^s, 
waving, we^v^, weaver, weavers, we^v^s, weaving, 
we'v^, wiv^s, wov^, wov^n. 



MANUAL OF INSTRUCTION FOR TEACHERS. 41 



WRITING AND SPELLING. 



The teaching of writing and spelling should begin almost simultaneously 
with that of reading. Up to the time of the completion of the First Book, 
there should be no attempt at oral spelling, and the calling of letters by their 
names should be carefully avoided; for, until the scholars have become 
strong in the use of the letters as phonograms, their names prove stumbling- 
blocks in the reading. 

The words used for writing and spelling should be presented, then, as 
wholes; and when it becomes necessary to direct attention to a particular 
letter, it should be designated as "this letter,'' "that letter," "the first 
letter," "the last letter," "the second letter," etc. 

The following plan for the teaching of written spelling (writing and spell- 
ing), having produced most excellent results in connection with this method 
of teaching reading, is heartily recommended. 

The teacher selects for the first lesson some very short and easy sentence 
that the children have already learned to read, — say, I see.^ This she writes 
upon the blackboard over and over again in the presence of the scholars 
before she suffers them to copy it, calling attention each time to the place 
at which she begins, the direction in which she makes her strokes, etc. ; so 
that, before the scholars try, they know quite definitely what they are to do. 

She next requires them to copy and recopy the sentence until she finds 
by trial that they can reproduce it loitliout copy. 

She now sets them a new copy, containing the two words already used and 
one other that they have already learned to read, — say, can, — making the 
sentence, I can see. This they copy and recopy like the first sentence, until 
it is found by trial that they can reproduce it unaided by a copy. Proceeding 
in the same way, she gives them for their next copy, / see a man ; for their 
next, See me, man; for their next. See me eat; and so on, until they have 
acquired a writing vocabulary of from eight to twelve words. 

1 Other selections will do as well as those used here. 



42 RATIONAL METHOD IN READING. 

Before teaching any more words, she makes as many new declarative 
and imperative sentences as possible with the words already acquired, no 
sentence containing more than four words, and has the scholars write them 
from dictation. 

She then resumes the word-teaching process, using for her copies inter- 
rogative as well as declarative and imperative, sentences, and teaching, of 
course, the use of the interrogation mark. Now, however, instead of pre- 
senting one new word at a time, she presents tivo, but without increasing 
sentence-lengths. For example, if, at this stage of the work, four words are 
deemed a proper length for the sentence, the make-up should be tioo old 
words with two new ones, not three old words and one neio one : experience 
having proved that the length of the sentence remaining the same, two new 
words are acquired almost, if not quite, as quickly as one. 

When a few additional new words (perhaps half-a-dozen) have been thus 
acquired, word-teaching again ceases for a short time, and is replaced by 
exercises in writing, from dictation, new sentences, both declarative and 
interrogative, made up of the words thus far learned. 

The sentences used during the first half-year, whether iox copy or dicta- 
tion, should never exceed six words in length, and should attain this dimen- 
sion only toward the end of that period. 

Dictated sentences should be read to the scholars clearly and deliberately, 
no one being permitted to begin writing or even to look down at the slate 
or paper until the teacher has ceased to speak, and should never be repeated 
for inattentive or forgetful scholars. The only possible justification for 
repetition is an interruption (such as loud noise or the entrance of a 
stranger) that prevents attentive as well as inattentive scholars from catch- 
ing the matter dictated. 

In selecting material for the written work, good judgment will need to 
be exercised. At first, whatever the nature of the words employed, they 
should be composed of short letters only and should begin as far as possible 
with letters that are alike in both the capital and small letter form. After 
the first few weeks, however, no attempt should be made to grade the 
written spelling work from the standpoint of penmanship. The faults in 
the latter should be corrected by means of separate exercises or drills. 



MANUAL OF INSTRUCTION FOR TEACHERS. 43 

The words chosen for spelling should all be taken from matter previously 
read. That is, they should be words that the children already know by 
sight. The main consideration in the choice of a word should be its useful- 
ness, the most useful words being those from which the largest number of 
sentences can be formed. These are not confined to any one or two parts 
of speech, but have numerous representatives in every one. Among the 
words selected a few of the homonyms should find places. No one of these 
should ever be presented to the children except in such connection with 
other words as will absolutely ensure the proper association of meaning with 
form (spelling). On no account should both members of a pair of homo- 
nyms be taught together. The scholars should be confirmed in the correct 
use of one by weeks of practice before the other is presented. Above all to 
be avoided, is the pernicious practice of using both members of a pair in 
one and the same sentence : a practice that even with older scholars leads 
to the most deplorable confusion. 

The sentence method above described for written spelling is the only good 
method. In its beginnings it is slow, and, unless the teacher is prepared 
to be patient, discouraging. The teaching of the first little sentence will 
consume much of her time and energy. The progress of the children, how- 
ever, after they have gathered a little impetus, will compensate her many 
times for her first trials. Many teachers in Brooklyn who formerly tauglit 
written spelling by the use of single words, with but indifferent success, 
now accomplish during the first half-year, upwards of two hundred words. 



44 THE RATIONAL METHOD IN READING. 



SECOND HALF-YEAR'S WORK. 



COMBINED SIGHT AND PHONETIC READING FROM THE SECOND BOOK, 

WITH AUXILIARY EXERCISES TO STRENGTHEN AND 

PERFECT THE WORK. 



Three lines of work are to be separately practiced every day : — 

1. Reading from the Book. 

2. Drill on the Phonograms. 

3. Drill on the Blend. 

1. The Book-keading. 

The directions given for Book-reading in the " Third Stage " of the 
"First Half-year's Work," apply to the second Half-year's Work through- 
out. The following additions to them are valuable and should be carefully 
observed. 

The sight words introduced in the Second Book should, in the case of 
every group presented, be taught in script on the blackboard, and read by 
the scholars in many blackboard sentences before the book lesson in which 
they occur is taken up. 

The oral reading of every book lesson should be preceded by its silent 
reading, and this, to be made in the highest degree effective, should be 
accompanied by questioning and comment by the teacher. The questioning 
should not only deal directly with the text, but should also call for inferences, 
etc., by the scholars. For example : — Teacher. Was Jack a selfish or an 
unselfish boy ? Scholar. He was a selfish boy. Teacher. How do you 
know ? Scholar. Why, the book says that he always let his sister go for 
the milk. Here the teacher might appropriately make some brief comment 
to increase the interest in the lesson and correspondingly stimulate attention 
and effort. 



MANUAL OF INSTRUCTION FOR TEACHERS. 45 

Occasionally a lesson may strike the teacher as being somewhat difficult 
for the little ones to understand. In such a case she should read the lesson 
aloud to the class in the most expressive manner possible, before the silent 
reading is done. This course, beside providing the pupils with good models 
of expression, will convey many a meaning to their minds that the mere 
words of the lesson would fail to convey. 

In the directions for oral reading previously given, much stress was laid 
upon the necessity of never permitting a scholar to read a sentence until 
he is ready to do so without a break. Without scrupulous attention to this 
direction, you cannot hope to make your pupils thoughtful readers. The 
child Avho reads his sentence aloud, one word at a time, will reach the end, 
in many cases, without getting a vestige of the thought ; while the one that 
reads to himself first, and then gives the sentence aloud without a break, 
gets the thought at the end, if he does not before. To accomplish this result, 
the best method is to have each scholar get his sentence ready, by reading 
it first to himself, and then require him to let the hand that holds the book 
drop to his side, and give the sentence aloud, without looking at the book. 
After the children have been exercised in this manner a few times, the very 
mistakes they make will attest the value of the method; for these will con- 
sist largely of substitutions for the words of the book of other words having 
the same meaning. The conclusion that the matter read is understood, thus 
becomes unavoidable. 

The sentence lengths in the Second Book have been arranged with special 
reference to the employment of this method, the limit being only twelve 
words, so as to bring it within the ability of the average child to carry any 
sentence in the book. 

2. The Drill on the Phonograms. 

As already stated in a previous chapter, this must be continued daily 
throughout the course, and cover all the phonograms thus far taught. The 
necessity for keeping it up lies in the fact that while it is the foundation 
of the greater part of the reading, a foundation that all the scholars must 
have, there will be some in every class who, either from having been irregular 
in attendance or from having previously attended a school in which the 
Rational Method was not pursued, have not acquired a fidl knowledge of 
the phonograms. 



46 THE RATIONAL METHOD IN READING. 



When the whole number of phonograms thus far taught becomes too 
great for use in any single drill exercise, half the cards may be employed 
one day and the other half the next. 

3. The Drill on the Blend. 

The author has nothing to add here to the instructions given on page 15, 
which the teacher responsible for the Second Half-year's Work should read 
with great care. He would, however, say that the daily continuance of this 
exercise is vital to success, inasmuch as the sentence-reading does not afford 
sufficient phonetic practice to produce the necessary expertness. 



MANUAL OF INSTRUCTION FOR TEACHERS. 47 



LISTS OF PHONETIC WORDS 

FOR USE IN BLEND DRILLS IN CONNECTION WITH THE READING 
DURING THE SECOND HALF-YEAR. 

Thousands of phonetic words might be supplied for use during the 
second half-year ; but the author has deemed it wise to restrict the number 
in a list to lifty. Should this number in any case prove insufficient, it may 
be largely increased by using in connection with the words given, such of 
the following suffixes as have been previously taught : ble, ed, el, en, er, 
ers, es, fid, gle, ing, ings, ish, le, less, ly, ness. Suffixes, however, should in 
no case be employed when their use will increase the length of the word 
beyond six phonograms. 

In the following lists the compound phonograms ck and sh having become 
sufficiently familiar, are used without underscoring ; and for the same reason 
where a double consonant, as pp ov ff, occurs in the middle of a word, neither 
member is crossed out. A little care may be necessary in the latter case 
to prevent the scholars from getting the notion that each of the two mem- 
bers is to be sounded separately. 



PHONETIC LIST NO. 22. 

New Phonograms : l, y, ly. 

To teach the sound represented by l, write the word it on the blackboard 

thus: i 1, and make sure that the scholars knows what it is. 

Then require them to pronounce it as written, helping them by placing the 
pointer on the i for them to begin, and sliding it slowly to the t, which they 
are not to pronounce until the pointer reaches it. If necessary, show them 
by doing the thing required, yourself. The long break between the two 
sounds will cause the l to come out distinctly. 



48 THE RATIONAL METHOD IN READING. 

Now require the scholars to try the sound without seeing the word it, 
but instruct them that whenever they see the character l, they must remem- 
ber that it always stands for the first sound in that word. 

The sound once mastered, there will be no trouble in teaching y as an 
additional representative of it. 

Teach ly by first presenting it marked thus : ly. Then put late and 
lately (without marks) on the blackboard, and call attention to the difference 
in appearance and the corresponding difference in sound. Write another 
well-known word. Have it read. Add ly. Ask what it is now. Repeat 
the process with other words. Insist always upon the ly being pronounced 
very crisply and not drawled out into a prolonged le. 

See remark on the use of suffixes on page 47. 

aetiv^, all^y, ^arry, ^elei'y, gity, eopy, down y, easily, 
e^sy, ever y, f ami ly, fri end ly, frosty, fimny, ivy, kid, 
kidnap, kindly, lately, l ight ly, likely, IHy, manly, 
merry, middl^, muddy, nearly, neatly, nicely, only, 
pansy, penny, pony, p up py, putty, rainy, river, s and y, 
shiny, si^v^, silly, skmny, sleepy, slimy, slo\/dy, smoky, 
softly, sorry, story, timid. 

^J<Xoc 

PHONETIC LIST NO. 23. 

New Phonogram : ch. 
See remark on the use of suffixes on page 47. 

approach, be^ch, be^ch, eatch, eajt^ch-up, cha/n, chap, 
chapter, chas^, che^p, cheat, checkers, che^k, che^s^, 



MANUAL OF INSTRUCTION FOR TEACHERS. 49 

cherry, chesjfniit, chick, eh/ef, child, chilly, chijrin^y, 
chin, Chines^, chi_p, chirruj), chop, chor^, chiickl^, co^ch, 
crufch, itch, ki]t!ch^n, lajifch, inajl'ch, mischief, nojl^ch, 
ostrich, pajfch, pijfch, porch, punch, rich, Richi^, s and wich. 
Sco/ch, S€ra]l!ch, stij[!ch, swijfch, torch, t^uch. 

PHONETIC LIST NO. 24. 

New Phonogram : d. 

Pronounce ud, place the tip of the tongue against the roof of the mouth 
before vittering the u so as to compel the sound to come from the throat. 
See remark on the use of suffixes on page 47. 

candy, ^ider, ginder, cradl^, gylinder, da/sy, de^d, de^r, 
degid^, deck, de^p, de^r, del ight dentist, deny, depojf, 
desk, diQ^, Dick, dl^, dim^, dimple, dip, dish, dismiss, 
div^, divid^, domino, do^r, dos^, doji^fi, dre^m, dress, 
drop, drov^, drum, dry, duck, dust, idl^, kindly, lady, 
lid, ne^dl^, puddly, rudder, shojAlder, solid, spider, 
straddl^, study. 



50 THE RATIONAL METHOD IN READING. 



PHONETIC LIST NO. 25. 

New Phonograms : b and ble. 

Pronounce b, ub, making the u with the lips closed. 
See remark on the use of suffixes on page 47. 

able, baby, back, bad, ball, banner, bat, bed, l^ell, 
belt, Ben, bench, b end , berry, best, bible, bigyel^, 
biseyiit, bit^, bitter, black, blad^, ble^d, blind, blister, 
block, bloA^, bo^t, bon^, bottl^, bov^l, brav^, br^ak, 
brick, br ight bring, brok^, brush, bubble, biickl^, bud, 
bunch, cliib, cobweb, double, elbo^^, nibble, nimble, 
noble, number, pebble, ra/nbo>^, ribbcin, rob, sob, 
stable, table, trouble, tumble. 

PHONETIC LIST NO. 26. 

New Phonograms : a G i O 11, — Obscure Vowels. 

These are vowels which cannot be crossed out because their omission 
would involve the loss of a syllable. Thus, re^l would read rel, ll^n 
would read lin, etc.; and yet they are so indistinctly pronounced that 
no one can tell in any given case exactly what the sound is. On account 
of their indistinctness they are represented by the faint or skeleton letters 
shown above, 



MANUAL OF INSTRUCTION FOR TEACHERS. 51 

As good a way as any to teach the recognition of these letters is to 
first tell the scholars that they sound more nearly like U than anything else, 
but are far less distinct; and then allow them to determine the word pre- 
sented in each case by giving li where the skeleton letter occurs, but 
require them when the word is pronounced as a whole to soften the U to 
the verge of extinction. Showing should, of course, accompany the telling. 
With good teaching, one or two exercises should make the matter per- 
fectly clear. 

See remark on the use of suffixes on page 47. 

aboard, aeross, ado, afloat, afra/d, alarm, al ight , 
alike, allv^, animal, ap/eg^, Arab, aris^, ashamed, 
ashor^, asid^, asleep, awa/t, awak^, balang^, barrel, 
eannon, caraway, earol, earrot, china, -G|iris](^mas, 
ginnamon, coward, currant, errand. Inland, ivory, lilac, 
lion, melon, memory, necklag^, nowada/s, pala^^, 
parrot, period, pilot, real, salad, s ever al, stirrup, tenant, 
water-melon. 

PHONETIC LIST NO. 27. 

New Phonograms : th and th. 

Pronounce the first of these with the breath only, but give the second 
a strong vocal buzz. Tell the scholars that the cross line represents the buzz. 
Practice each thoroughly before using in words. 

See remark on the use of suffixes on page 47. 



52 THE RATIONAL METHOD IN READING. 



batii^, beneath, blacksmith, both, bother, bre^ 
bre^th^, eloth, eloth^s, de^th, e/ther, feather, foyirth, 
froth, hegith^n lather, leather, moth, ne/ther, ninth, 
panther, seventh, te^th, tef^tii^, tenth, thatch, theater, 
thes^, thick, th/ef, thl^|4, thimble, thijn, thi^j(!l^, thorn, 
thos^, thoji^|i, thrash, thread, thre^t^n, thre^, throat, 
throng, thro^^, thrush, thum|^, thtimp, thunder, tiius, 
underneath, weather, y^re^th, ^re^th^. 



t>t»:o 



PHONETIC LIST NO. 28. 

' New Phonogram: n. 

Sounded by forcing the voice through the nose, with the mouth open and 
the fore part of the tongue kept down. 

If you have difficulty in teaching your pupils this sound separately, 
write an on the blackboard and have it pronounced. Then change the 
form to an and tell the pupils that it is pronounced ang. Do the same 
with en, m, on, and tin. Finally, mix all the forms an, an, en, 
en, in, in, on, on, tin, and tin irregularly, and drill the scholars 
in distinguishing them. 

See remark on the use of suffixes on page 47. 

alon^', ankl^, ban^, bank, belong', blink, bunk, chink, 
chtink, eltin^, crank, donkey, drank, drtink, Frank, gon^, 
ink, length, link, Itin^', oblong', pink, plank, prank, ptink, 



MANUAL OF INSTRUCTION FOR TEACHERS. 53 

ran^, san^, sank, sink, slink, son^, spank, sprang, 
spunk, stren^'th, strong", strung', stun^\ tank, thank, 
tinker, tinkl^, ton^s, trunk, twmkl^, unel^, wink, 
^rinkl^, ^ron^'. 

PHONETIC LIST NO. 29. 

New Phonograms : g and gle. 

Pronounce g, Ug, making tlie U in the throat with the mouth open. 
See remark on the use of suffixes on page 47. 

agat^, agre^, angle, angry, bangle, begin, big, buggy, 
dig, e^gle, fig, finger, flag, flog, frog, gam^, garret, 
gather, gas, ge^s^, gift, giggle, gimlet, glad, gold, got, 
grajfn, grand m other , grap0, gravy, gra/, greedy, gre^n, 
gro^, grumble, g^ess, gum, gun, gutter, log, mingle, 
mug, peg, pig, popgun, ragged, shaggy, shingle, single, 
stagger, tag, tangle, tiger, tingle, together, tug, twig, 
ugly, wag^n, ^riggle. 



54 THE RATIONAL METHOD IN READING. 



PHONETIC LIST NO. 30. 

New Phonograms : g and J . 

Pronounce uj, placing the tip of the tongue against the roof of the 
mouth before uttering the u so as to compel the sound to come from the 
throat. 

See remark on the use of suffixes on page 47. 

ag^, angel, arrange, l^a^g^, bi'i^g^, eabbag^, €ag^, 
€arri^g^, chaiig^, eottag^, €^urag^, danger, do^g^, eylg^, 
engin^, frmgj^, gem, geni^, gently, giant, ginger-bread, 
giraff^, jail, Jan^, je^l(^us, jelly, jest, jingle, job, J6)4n, 
jok^, jo^m, jii^g^, jug, juggler, jump, j^t, magic, 
oblig^, orang^, paekag^, pag^, pig#n, porri^g^, postag^, 
savag^, sle^g^, stag^, stmgy, Strang^, we^g^. 

PHONETIC LIST NO. 31. 

New Phonograms : a and o. 
See remark on the use of suffixes on page 47. 

almost, already, al ways, a]iger, a]itum]i, a^n ing, ba^^l, 
be€a]is^, border, born, b6ji^|it, bro^d, broji^^t, €a]i^*}it, 



MANUAL OF INSTRUCTION FOR TEACHERS. 55 

chajk, €la^, eord, eork, €ra\^fish. €ra^l, da]l^|4tei*, daV dl^, 
dra)^, dwarf, fals^, fa^iget, fa^lt, form, f6^^|4t, G^org^, 
^na^, ja^, nayl^fit, 6yi^j4t, pa)^, ra^, reward, salt, saucer, 
sajisag^, seald, sba^^l, short, sort, storm, stra^-berry, 
tajk, ta]i^'}4t, tha^^, tho^^^it, wajk, war, warm. 

PHONETIC LIST NO. 32. 

New Phonograms: h and wh. 

Pronounce wh, hoo, making the h very strong. In words shorten 
the 00 to the point of suppression. 

See remark on the use of sufiixes on page 47. 

awhil^, behav^, behind, buck wheat , hall, han^, happy, 
hajifchet, hate, ha^k, ha^-loft, he^d, He^v^n, he^vy, hen, 
hickory, hid^, hi^|i, hill, hmg^, hir^, hit, hold, hop, horn, 
hot, hug, hum, hunter, hurry, hush, hus]tl^, hut, hyena, 
ke/hol^, whal^, wharf, wheat, whe^l, whe^l-barrov/^, 
which, whil^, whim per, whin^, whip, whisk, whisper, 
whi^jlil^, whit^, whittl^, ^hol^. 



56 THE RATIONAL METHOD IN READING. 

PHONETIC LIST NO. 33. 

New Phonograms : Oil and 0\V. 
See remark on the use of suffixes on page 47. 

allow, around, blous^, bou^M, boimg^, brown, chowder, 
eloud, clown, couch, count, crowd, crown, crouch, drown, 
drowsy, floun^^, flounder, flower, fount^/n, fowl, ground, 
growl, hajfmow, hot-hous^, hound, hous^, loud, mouse, 
mouth, night-gown, oung^, plou^l4, poung^, pound, 
powder, proud, prowl, round, shower, slouoh, sound, 
south, sunflower, thousand, towel, tower, trous ers. 

«>i«iOO 

PHONETIC LIST NO. 34. 

New Phonograms : O, U, and CW. 
See remark on the use of suffixes on page 47. 

balloon, bo^t, brew, bro^m. Bruin, bru/s^, brunett^, 
brut^, cano^, chew, c\io6s6, eo^, eojil, crew, cruel, drew, 
fo^d, foiilish, gQ(^s^, grew, gruel, improv^, Jew, jewel, 
mov^, mofalight, po^dl^, poi^l, po^r, prov^, prunes, ro^f, 
ro^m, ro^t, ruby, rud^, rul^, Ruth, se^o^l, screw, sho^, 



MANUAL OF INSTRUCTION FOR TEACHERS. 57 

sho^t, slo^p, so^n, so]ip, spo(^l, spo^n, sto^p, strew, 
threw, truant, tm^, truth, t^o. 

PHONETIC LIST NO. 35. 

New Phonograms : O, U, and f ul. 
See remark on the use of suffixes on page 47. 

• a^ful, bashful, bo^k, bro^k, bullet, bu]Ccher, €o(^ky, 
€o]iJd, crocked, eucko(/>, eush^^n, fals^ho^d, fearful, 
fir^wo^d, fishhook, fo^t, hateful, helpful, ho(^d, ho^k, 
ho^p, mouthful, not^bo^k, pailful, pitiful, plateful, 
playful, pudd ing , pull, pullet, pulley, pulpit, push, 
puss, r ight ful, serapboi^k, sho^k, sho^Jid, skillful, 
spiteful, sto^d, thankful, th6)i^'}4tful, to^k, truthful, 
understated, wUlful, wolf, woman, woolen, woji^sted. 

PHONETIC LIST NO. 36. 

New Phonogram: a. 
See remark on the use of suffixes on page 47. 

a}i, ark, a}int, barber, bargain, bark, barn, eajf, ^ar, 
eard, ear go, elirpet, ^art, eiw/^bar, dark, darn, far, father, 



58 THE RATIONAL METHOD IN READING. 

garter, hajf, hard, hark, harness, h^art, lard, hurra, 
larg^, layindry, mamma, marbl^, march, market, papa, 
park, parsley, parsnip, part, party, path, rjiubarb, sear, 
searf, scarlet, shark, sharp, smart, sparkl^, star, starch, 
starl ight starv^, tardy, target, tart. 

PHONETIC LIST NO. 37. 

New Phonogram : a. 

Like a, but less broad and pronounced more in the mouth. 
See remark on the use of suffixes on page 47. 

advang^, after, aftemoi^n, alas, ask, banana, basket, 
bass, Blanch^, blast, branch, brass, €ask, caster, chaff, 
chanc^. clasp, class, dang^, draft, fasjf^n, flask, Frang^, 
gasp, glang^, glass, grasp, hasp, lang^, lass, last, ghiss, 
grasp, hasp, last, mask, mass, mast, master, nasty, 
overcast, pant, pass, past, pastim^, plaster, raft, rasp, 
slant, staff, steadfast, task, vast. 



MANUAL OF INSTRUCTION FOR TEACHERS. 59 

PHONETIC LIST NO. 38. 

New Phonograms: ar, er, ear, ir, 01", and Ul'/ 

Pronounce like IT in SIT or gll'l. These six characters, representing 
one and the same sound, may be taught almost as easily as one, if the atten- 
tion of the scholars is called to the fact that every one begins with a wave- 
marked (~) letter and ends with an r. 

See remark on the use of suffixes on page 47. 

anejior, bii'th-day, burn, chui'Oi, churn, girel^, gireus, 
€ongert, curly, deserv^, dirt, doctor, early, earn, earth, 
first, furnagf^, heard, hears^, hurt, j^urn0y, kernel, 
lantern, learn, mortar, mustard, orchard, parlor, pattern, 
pearl, pei'ch, perfect, poplar, pur, purpl^, purs^, sailor, 
serv^, gellar, scholar, search, sir, skirt, stir, tailor, third, 
thirsty, thirteen, thirty, Thursday, to\/^ard, turkey? turn, 
turnip, turtl^, word, world, worm, worst, worth. 



1 Most lexicographers maintain that the sound of tt before r differs from that of i or e in 
the same position. So far as the people of this country are concerned, the author respect- 
fully dissents from that opinion. He has listened for years to the speech of cultivated 
Americans, with the special object of deciding the point, and has found little or nothing 
to support the claims of the lexicographers. Almost every one gives exactly the same 
vowel sound in term, firm, and turn. In the use of any one of the combinations er, ir, 
and nr, however, shades of difference occur. For instance, few persons give exactly the 
same vowel sound in sir and girl. But these shades of difference it would be impossible 
to represent by different marking. 



eO THE RATIONAL METHOD IN READING. 

PHONETIC LIST NO. 39. 

New Phonogram : 6. 

Pronounced exactly like U. 

See remark on the use of suffixes on page 47. 

anion^, beloved, blo^d, color, comfort, eompass, 
€6ver, eovet, discover, don^, dov^, flesh-eolor, flo^d, 
flojirisli, front, glov^, g rand son, hon^y^ \i6n^j-e6n\]f), 
lov^, lovely, Monday, mon^y, monkey, month, non^, 
nothing, ov^n, porpo^s^, recover, shov^, shovel, 
somerset, son, spong^, stepson, stomaeji, thoroyl^'ji, ton, 
ton^yi^, turtl^dov^, uncover, undon^, won, wonder, 
wonderful, worry. 

PHONETIC LIST NO. 40. 

New Phonograms : 01 and oy. 

Pronounce ae, blending the two sounds closely. 
See remark on the use of suffixes on page 47. 

ahoy, annoy, appoint, avoid, boil boisterous, broil, 
buoy, choig^, coil, coin, destroy, doily, employ, enjoy, 
gumboil, hoist, join, joint, jointed, joist, joy, joyful, 
joyfully, loin, loiter, moist, nds^, noisily, noisy, ml, 



MANUAL OF INSTRUCTION FOR TEACHERS. 61 

oily, overjoj^d, ouster, parboil, point, pointer, poison, 
poisonous, rejoi^^, Roy, royal, sirloin, soil, spoil, tin-Ml, 
toilet, toil, toilsome, toy;, unedl, voig^, voyag^. 

PHONETIC LIST NO. 41. 
New Phonograms : u, ew, and ure. 

See remark on the use of sufl&xes on page 47. 

abtis^, aeetis^, amus^, argti^, avenu^, b^^utiful, blew 
blti^, bugle, €ub^, eupola, €ure, euri^us, de"w, dispute 
during, duty, endure, e"w^, failure, feTv, figure, flut^ 
funeral, glu^, bug^, January, July, Jun^, mevv, mugilag^ 
mtil^, museum, music, pasture, peTvter, peTv, picture 
plum^, procure, pupil, pure, refus^, salut^, statu^, steTv 
stupid, su/t, torture, tubj^, Tuesday, tulip, tun^, us^ 
us^ f ul. 

PHONETIC LIST NO. 42. 

New Phonograms: ar, air, ^ar, and ^ir. 

These four characters, representing one and the same sound, may be 
taught almost as easily as one, if the attention of the scholars is called to 
fact that every one begins with a caret (^) marked letter and ends with an r. 

See remark on the use of suffixes on page 47. 



62 THE RATIONAL METHOD IN READING. 

air, arm-chair, bar^, bar^fo^t, bear, bewar^, bug-bear, 
€ar^, ear^f ul, ear^f ul ly, careless, chair, d^^, deelar^, f air , 
fairy, far^, farewell, flar^, glar^, hair, hair-brtish, 
hardwar^, har^, har^-bell, horse ha;ir, mar^, lughtmar^, 
out wear, pair, par^, parent, pear, prepar^, rar^, repair, 
scarg^, searg^ly, sear^, shar^, snar^, spar^, spar^rib, 
stair, star^, sw ear , tail-bearer, t ear , their, thre^dbar^, 
unfair, wear. 

PHONETIC LIST NO. 43. 

New Phonograms : X, ex, and ex. 

' ' J. 

Pronounced, respectively, ks, elvS, and egZ. 
See remark on the use of suffixes on page 47. 

apex, axl^, axl^-tre^, b and -box, be^s-wax, betwixt, 
box, calyx, co^x, exact, ex amin^. exampl^, except, 
exchange, excite, excus^, exergis^, exert, exist, expect, 
explain, explod^, expos^, express, fix, flax, fox, 
hexagon, index, lynx, mix, mixture, next, onyx, ox, 
ox^n, pickax, sextyin, six, sixp^ng^, sixteen, sixth, sixty, 
smallpox, snuff-box, tax, unfix, vex, vix^n, wax, 
wax-work. 



MANUAL OF INSTRUCTION FOR TEACHERS. 63 



PHONETIC LIST NO. 44. 

New Phonograms : q and qu. 

Pronounced, respectively, k and koo. In using the latter in words, 
shorten 00 to the point of suppression. 

See remark on the use of suffixes on page 47. 

a^ qu afnt. a^ qii ir^. ac qu aint ed, acquit, bed^nilt, 
ban qu et, ^onq^ier, €oq}iett^, earthquake, equal, inquiry, 
li qu id, liqytor, obliq^^, opaq^i^, qu ack, quail, qu art, 
quarter, qu e^n, qu e^^r, qu ench, quick, quickly, qu iet, 
quill, quHt, quing^, qulnln^, quir^, qu it, quit^, quiver, 
quoit, re quest , re qu lr^, s qu a\^, squeak, squeal, squint, 
squirm, s qu irrel, squirt, unequal. 

PHONETIC LIST NO. 45. 

New Phonogram: Z. 

Pronounce with a strong vocal buzz. 

See remark on the use of suffixes on page 47. 

baptiz^, blaz^, brazen, bre^z^, bronz^, buzz, eapsiz^, 
crazy, dazzl^, dizzy, doz^, drizzly, Eliza, fizz, fizzl^, 
fre^z^, frizzly, froz^, frozen, fuzz, fuzzy, ga^iz^, gaz^, 



64 THE RATIONAL METHOD IN READING. 

glaz^, graz^, grizzly, hazy, huzza, lizard, loz^ng^, ina/z^, 
muzzl^, g^z^, piazza, priz^, ptizzl^, razor, se^bre^z^, 
se^z^, slz^, sne^z^, sno^z^, sque^z^. tweezers, whe^z^, 
zebra, zero, zigzag, zine. 

PHONETIC LIST NO. 46. 

New Phonograms : y and 1. 

The sound represented by these two phonograms cannot be given alone. 
It is that peculiar slide or twist that occurs between long 6 and any other 
vowel when we attempt to pass from the former to the latter without stop- 
ping. We therefore teach the children to call it e, but in words to smother 
or shorten the vowel part to the point of suppression. 

See remark on the use of suffixes on page 47. 

anxious, beyond, bunion. -C|iristian, elothier, cordial, 
Daniel, glazier, hosier, Indian, lawyer, le^pye^r, million, 
onion, opinion, pavier, Eussian, Savior, senior, Spaniard, 
spaniel, stallion, union, unyielding, unyok^, vermilion, 
vineyard, Yanke^, yard, yarn, ya^^n, ye, ye^r, yearly, 
ye^st, yell, yello^^, yet, yew, y;i:eld, yok^, yolk, yonder, 
y^un^, younger, youngest, y^un^ster. 



MANUAL OF INSTRUCTION FOR TEACHERS. 65 



. _ PHONETIC LIST NO. 47. 

New Phonogram: a. 

Pronounce exactly like 6. 

See remark on the use of suffixes on page 47. 

chaps, quality, qu arrel, seallop, s qu ab, squabbl^. 
squall, squander, squash, squat, swab, swallo\/^, swamp, 
swampy, swan, swap, wad, wadded, wadd ing , waddl^, 
waffl^, wallet, wallop, walnut, walrus, wampum, wan, 
wand, wander, warren, wash, washboard, washer, 
washerwoman, wasp, watch, watch er, wajtichful, 
waj(!chman, whitewash, wigwam, ya^Jit. 

PHONETIC LIST NO. 48. 

New Phonogram: 6. 

Pronounce exactly like a. 

See remark on the use of suffixes on page 47. 

bo]iq]iej^, conve/, eY6q^/le% disobe/, tref^^t, gref, 
grei hound, he/, ne/^-|4, ne^^Jibor, ne/^'|iborho^d, 
ne/^Jiborly, ohef, outwe/^}i, pre/, vef^n, re/n, re/nde^r, 
ske^n, sle/^'|i, vefl, ve/n, we/^ji, we/^|it, we/^Jity, whei. 



66 THE RATIONAL METHOD IN READING. 



PHONETIC LIST NO. 49. 
New Phonogram : l. 

Pronounce exactly like e. 

See remark on the use of suffixes on page 47. 

fat'ig]/!^, magazin^, marin^, merino, polig^, trio, val'is^. 



J>«io 



PHONETIC LIST NO. 50. 

New Phonograms : ph and gll. 

Pronounce exactly like f. 

See remark on the use of suffixes on page 47. 

-camphor, cipher, covigh, dolphin, draiight. enoyigh, 
hyphen, la]Agh, la^ighter, nephew, orphan, pamphlet, 
phaeton, phe^s^nt, Philip, phlegm, phlox, phonetic, 
physic, roughly, spher^, sphinx, sulx)hui, toiigh, toiAghfa, 
tr6]igh, typhoid, who^p ing-e6]igh. 



MANUAL OF INSTRUCTION FOR TEACHERS. 67 

PHONETIC LIST NO. 51. 

New Phonograms : (51, (^, f5i, ^, and tl. 
Pronounce sh. See remark on the use of suffixes on page 47. 

a€tl(^ii, addition, affe^ti^n, affliction, aiKfi^nt, attention, 
a^efi^n, €a]4ti(^n, ^ajiti^us, condition, delicfi^us, 
exeurgi^n, fero^i^us, friction, gra(5iOus, lu^cTi^us, martial, 
menti(^n, motion, musicTi^n, nation, na^if^^us, notion, 
partial, o(5^^n, omis§l(in, pas^^n, patl^nQ^, patient, 
pengi^n, permisislOn, physi(51gin. portion, position, 
precTi^us, relation, spa^l^us, spe(5Idl, stati(zin, suspidi^n, 
suspicTiQus, vaeati^n, vexation, vexatious, vicfi^us. 



68 THE RATIONAL METHOD IN READING. 



SPELLING AND THE ALPHABET. 



During the second half-year, spelling should be taught by tivo methods, 
the senteyice method already described (pp. 41-43), and a method which, for 
want of a better name, may be called the series method. 

The sentence method should deal with homonyms (see page 43) and all 
other useful words that do not occur in phonetic series of three or more. 
By its use, the scholars should learn to spell from a hundred and fifty to 
two hundred words during the half-year. 

The series method, which combines in a wonderfully effective way eye 
perception with ear perception, should deal with all words (except homonyms) 
that occur in- phonetic series of three or more. A good teacher, after a little 
experience, will easily teach by this method, during the second half-year, 
four or five hundred words in addition to those she teaches by the other 
method. 

By a phonetic series of words is meant a series in which there is an ele- 
ment, nearly always compound, common to all the words, but preceded in 
each by a different consonant or combination of consonants. 

Examples : — ill, hill, chill, drill, fill, etc. ; — at, hat, cat, chat, fat, flat, 
etc. ; — hrine, dine, fine, line, mine, etc. ; — fun, gun, run, sun, shun, spun, etc. 

The following is a description of the series method : — 

The teacher first selects a complete series of words. From this series 
she strikes out: — 1. All homonyms. 2. Every word containing any letter 
which the scholars have not yet learned as a phonogram. 3. Every word 
which the scholars would not understand in conversation. 

She next teaches the names of all the letters found in the series when 
thus revised. 

The scholars being thus prepared for the work, the teacher writes upon 
the blackboard the element common to the series, which may be either a 
simple word like old or a meaningless combination like ine, and has the 
scholars read it. In this presentation she uses diacritical marks if neces- 



MANUAL OF INSTRUCTION FOR TEACHERS. 69 

sary ; but in case she does so, she erases the element as soon as it has been 
read, and, immediately rewriting it unmarked, requires it to be read again. 
The lesson then proceeds without marks in this fashion, the common element 
being, let us say, me .• — 

T. Now, children, what do you say this is ? 

CJi. Ine. 

T. Close your eyes. (Children obey.) Now those who remember how 
ine looks, show hands. (Children obey.) Open your eyes and write ine 
without looking at the blackboard. (As soon as the children have done this, 
the teacher makes a rapid inspection of their slates or papers to make sure 
that all have copied the element correctly, a right beginning being absolutely 
essential to success. If she finds any that have not, she simply erases what 
they have written, and tells them to look better and Avrite again. No further 
inspection is made until the end of the lesson.) 

T. (Returning to blackboard) What is this on the blackboard ? 

Ch. Ine. 

T. (Prefixing an /) Now what have I made of it ? 

Ch. Fine. 

T. Close your eyes. (Children obey.) Those who remember how fine 
looks, show hands. (Children obey.) Open your eyes and Avrite fine without 
looking at the blackboard. (While the children are writing the teacher 
erases the /.) 

T. What have I here now? 

Ch. Ine. 

T. (Prefixing an I) And what now ? 

Ch. Line. 

T. Close your eyes. (Children obey.) Who remembers how line looks ? 
(Children raise hands.) Open your eyes and write line without looking at 
the blackboard. (While this is being done the teacher erases the I.) 

T. What do you now see on the blackboard? 

Ch. Ine. 

T. (Prefixing an m) And what now ? 

Ch. Mine. 

T. Close your eyes. (Children obey.) Who remembers how mine looks ? 
(Children show hands.) Open your eyes and write it without looking up, — 
etc., etc., etc. 



70 THE RATIONAL METHOD IN READING. 

Having had the entire series, or as much of it as she deems sufficient for 
a lesson, written in this way, the teacher next, as a drill upon letter names, 
lets some scholar who has written all the words correctly, spell them aloud 
from the slate or paper, while the others, listening, make a cross at the end 
of each one they have spelled correctly. She then has the words erased 
(if on a slate) or turned down (if on paper), and proceeds to test her work by 
dictating them in a different order and without any blackboard accompani- 
ment.^ This generally closes the lesson, though some teachers will doubt- 
less prefer to go a step farther and close with a quick exercise in the oral 
spelling ^ of the words. 

Of course, words taught in this way, like words taught in any other way, 
that the knowledge may be retained, must be frequently reviewed. It fol- 
lows also, that in sentences prepared for dictation to the class, these words 
must have representation as well as the words taught by the sentence 
method. 

It must be evident to the least thoughtful, that the series method of 
teaching spelling will strongly reinforce the work done in reading ; for the 
common element that runs through a series of words, having been carefully 
and repeatedly studied during the spelling exercise, will thereafter be readily 
recognized by most of the pupils as a compound phonogram, and will there- 
fore serve as an additional " short cut " to word recognition. 

In teaching spelling by the series method, the work should be carefully 
graded as regards the lengths of the words. A series in which the common 



1 The author has lately given many lessons like the foregoing to Brooklyn classes in 
their second half-year. In few cases where the first half-year's phonetic work had been 
well done did the number of words misspelled on the test above mentioned, exceed one 
or two per cent. 

- Observe that this is not oral spelling in the ordinary sense, where the exercise is 
a drill in ear recollection exclusively. In this oral spelling, there having been no memo- 
rizing by oral repetition of letters, the effort is to get at the letters by remembering how 
the word looked. The exercise is therefore mainly, if not wholly, one in visual recollec- 
tion. 



MANUAL OF INSTRUCTION FOR TEACHERS. 71 

element contains three letters should on no account be used while there 
remains as yet unused a series of equally useful words in which the common 
element contains but two letters. 

Toward the end of the second half-year after the scholars have learned 
all the letters by name, they should be taught to say them in their alpha- 
betical order. The reason for this is too obvious to require statement. 



